#232 A hunters perspective

At the end of the day, we are all hunters, whether we opt for a carnivorous or vegan way of life. Even in the business and professional world do we take on the roles of hunter, contributing to the ecosystem with our efforts. Like hunters, if we are no good at our job, we will likely go hungry and die, a cruel sounding yet present fact.

After recently obtaining my California hunters safety card, I learned that being a hunter is much more than “hunting”. Allow me to explain. Hunters have their place in wildlife just as humans do and are vital to the ecological balance. Being a hunter is actually humane. Hunters prevent population overflow, something that occurs when a species (boar, deer) has no natural predator. This prevents the animal from over populating and ruining the vegetation or preying on other animals. An example of this is wild boars in Texas, the average boar gives birth to liters of 8-12 and begins mating at 16 weeks! With no natural predator, these animals roam about destroying the land and preying on smaller mammals. These pigs have become such a pest that no license is necessary to hunt them.

Furthermore, being a good hunter is about respecting others, hunter or non hunter as well as animals. Good hunters should always look to take the cleanest shot, ending the hunt as cleanly and quickly as possible. Wildlife conservation helps determine the species that should be hunted, outlawing the hunting of endangered or low populated species. Animals typically die of predation and starvation so all things considered, a shot to the heart is one of the quickest ways it will die. Additionally it provides good clean meat that can be used to feed your family. Experienced hunters also avoid being wasteful and make sure they use as much of the animal as possible.